Main Plaza tree removal almost complete

This morning, Tree Wise Men started removing the last two of the diseased red oaks from Main Plaza. They're supposed to be done by the end of today.

Paula Stallcup, director of downtown operations, said a total of five red oaks will be removed from Main Plaza. (There were two in August.) There are four on the northern end of the plaza, which will be replaced with two trees. The one red oak on the south end will be replaced, too. Stallcup said the city forester is still deciding on which species of tree to replace the diseased trees with. They will wait until the end of October to plant the three new trees.

The city will erect umbrellas throughout the plaza to help with the lack of shade. Local artist Peter Zubiate, who has a studio and gallery space downtown on Broadway just before it hits Houston Street, was there this morning observing the cutting. He said the city approached him about recycling some of the larger pieces of tree into furniture for the plaza.

In a related note, it looks like the construction around the Bexar County Courthouse will be done by Dec. 7. That's the date the city has slated for a ceremony for the completion of that part of the plaza renovation.

In even another related note, the construction being done to the facade of the next door Bexar County Justice Center is not related to the Main Plaza-area construction. That said, some may notice the Justice Center has a new roof.

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The grates that have broken or gone missing are being replaced with - wait for it - coarse gravel. And what happens to gravel when it's not contained? It spreads. And it has. All over the surrounding sidewalks. World class if you ask me.

Having watched the Main Plaza reconstruction crews laboring for months to avoid injuring the existing trees on the plaza, it seem totally dumb that the trees are now being cut down. Couldn't anyone have realized this was going to happen? And how about the city coming to the rescue of countless trees along our downtown sidewalks which are being strangled by the wrought iron grates which are too small to allow the trees to grow. Isn't anyone minding the store? We have people on our city payroll who are dead wood walking!